Visiting The Vancouver Public Library

The Vancouver public library is one of the largest public library systems in all of Canada. Begun in 1869, the library system includes twenty branches along with outreach services for homebound citizens of the city. The library’s services are available free of charge for people who live in or own property in the Vancouver city limits. For non-residents, library cards for the Vancouver public library are available for a fee. To obtain a Vancouver public library card, applicants must fill out an application in person. These applications can be obtained at any library branch. New users can fill out a form online, but it must be validated within thirty days by visiting a library branch in person. The applicant must provide identification and proof of address to obtain the permanent card. Acceptable forms of personal identification are driver’s licenses and non-driver identification cards. New cardholders are only allowed to check out ten items at a time during the first four months of having a card. Vancouver public library cardholders can use their cards to access the Internet in the library. Vancouver public library patrons can check out up

to fifty items at a time. Most items are lent for twenty-one days, except for cassettes, DVDs and compact discs, which are allowed to checked out for seven days. Late fees on regular books are thirty cents per day, and they are a dollar a day for rented media. The Vancouver public library allows patrons to renew items online via their website if the items have not been requested by other patrons. The Vancouver library has extensive web resources, as well. Any person can search the holdings of the Vancouver public library, even if he or she is not a library cardholder. The library offers an extensive database of all of its holdings that can be accessed online through its website.